Get a load of this: "The Secret Madness of Adolf Hitler"

[applegrove]

The Secret Madness of Adolf Hitler

http://www.salon.com/2015/01/03/the_secret_madness_of_adolf_hitler/

The article says Hitler had a type of autism. No mention of him being a psychopath.

(I can't cut and paste article)

[marym625]

1. Here

Some of the Führer’s physical ailments – the uncontrollable trembling of his left arm and hand – suggest, as noted earlier, a form of Parkinson’s disease, but mentally Hitler’s traits put him at least somewhere on the autism or Asperger’s spectrum, possibly with extreme pathological demand avoidance (PDA) syndrome, which can develop in childhood. Sufferers typically exhibit obsessive behaviour, a lack of boundaries, avoid everyday work and social demands due to their own high anxiety levels, and feel they are not in control. They often possess great communication skills, but in appearing charming when feeling secure, they lack depth in their understanding of colleagues and intimates, and suffer excessive mood swings, often switching violently with a ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ tendency, having real problems controlling their temper, which can take the form of prolonged tantrums and violent outbursts. Speer observed these increase in frequency as the war drew on; in one conference at which he presented unwelcome statistics, ‘That alone made Hitler nervous and angry. Although he listened, I could see by his expression, by the lively fluttering of his hands, the way he chewed his fingernails, that he was growing increasingly tense . . . When I had finished . . . Hitler was no longer in control of himself. His face flushed deep red; his eyes turned lifeless and fixed. Then he roared at the top of his lungs . . . Abruptly, he terminated the conference, cutting off all further argument.’

Interesting article

[Dreamer Tatum]

2. Yeah, you'd think an article about Hitler would mention that.

So few articles and reports since the 30's have chronicled his pathology, after all.

[Gloria]

3. I read this earlier today and found the

part about his blindness after being gassed during WWI very interesting. Apparently, a doctor broke him out of this psychological situation..it was some sort of hysteria, his eyes actually were OK...He had another bout of this later on, too.

[dhill926]

4. more interested in why...

many of the German people followed him off the cliff. I know many of us are paying attention to this, in terms of it's relationship to things today...

[applegrove]

5. There was an article on cults at Business

Last edited Tue Jan 6, 2015, 04:23 AM - Edit history (2)

Insider a few months back. I‘ve gone back to look for it but can‘t find it. It said basically that cult followers have their aspirations and grievances met by the cult leader.

Here is my take: for sure Germans were all upset they lost WWI and then faced inflation. So they were vulnerable to these grievances. And then Hitler comes along and fulfills all their dreams of power. So people who were losers became instant winners and very powerful when they joined the Nazis. They suddenly felt self actualized. Theirs lives had meaning so long as they bought into Hitler. And if they ever were to think that Hitler was bad, then they would have to admit they were chumps. People who signed onto the nazi way were told they were exceptionally smart or exceptionally powerful or exceptionally virtuous. These were secret adolescent daydreams of the people fulfilled. And given the lifestyle of a star and constant feedback. And their egos grew and they scapegoated all those who didn't sign on. And those that didn't join the cult were considered exceptionally wak and stupid and evil. And the cult followers were given jobs based on loyalty not qualifications, while jobs were taken away from those who did not adequately revere Hitler. And who, who has a very important dream role in their country, wants to go back to being a loser/chump and unemployed if they acknowledge to themselves that the jews were being scapegoated and their power and prestige was all a sham? The choice ends up being a black or white one. The shades of grey in Germany were all gone pretty soon.

[Warpy]

6. Well, it wasn't much of a secret, even among his cronies, he was mad as a March hare

and everybody seemed to know it if they took the time to look closely.

The article is bunk. Hitler had to be a psychopath in order to be as charismatic as he was, easily convincing people around him to discard a lifetime of morals and ethics and do whatever he wanted them to.

A lot of people have blamed untreated tertiary syphilis for his erratic behavior late in the war. Having seen raving psychopaths told they've screwed something up or have run into a behavior limit, I think it's a tough call. A psycopath wouldn't react well to any bad news. Stories about them as corporate CEOs abound, after all.

ASD has become almost a fad diagnosis these days, the reason behind the "epidemic" that antivaxers are fond of citing. Any introverted, smart kid who's a bit of an oddball is so labeled, diagnostic criteria be damned.

This article is one example of that.

[applegrove]

7. Thank you.